FOTZC Board Trip to Tanzanian -

What We’ve Learned and What’s Ahead

Members of the FOTZC Board of Directors returned from Tanzania a few weeks ago where we visited past projects, met with community leaders, and identified our next priorities. Board members personally cover all of their travel expenses, as well as FOTZC’s administrative and marketing costs, ensuring every dollar you donate supports the projects for our partner communities. 

Thanks to your generosity, we continue to make meaningful progress in education, women’s empowerment, and healthcare. Each initiative is guided by the needs and requests of our local partners, and we’re honored to be working alongside these communities to build stronger futures for them. 

Here’s a quick snapshot of what we’ve accomplished - together.

Education: 

With the Tanzanian government recently making education free for secondary schools, enrollment in both primary and secondary schools is surging. One school we visited had 400 students in 2022 and now has over 800! We’ve built infrastructure in rural northern Tanzania for 27 years, but the need for classrooms, dormitories, teacher housing and cooking facilities is ongoing.

Healthcare: 

Since breaking ground in 2019, the Sukenya Health Center is finally nearing completion. What began as a small dispensary has grown into a comprehensive facility. During our visit, we were thrilled to see the FOTZC-funded Outpatient Department under construction and learn that the government has committed additional medical staff – who will begin work once staff housing is completed. This highlights the urgent need to complete this key piece of the project.

Women’s Empowerment: 

Our Women’s Empowerment Center has grown into a vibrant campus with honey processing and storage rooms, a beadwork training space, a sales pavilion, shaded visitor seating and a visitor toilet block. These programs continue to provide education and economic tools, creating opportunities for entire families. 

The women seek funding for essential new equipment. This includes a honey pumping machine, an electric honey processor, and a stainless-steel honey storage tank - all of which will significantly improve the efficiency and scale of honey processing. Additional beehives are also needed to meet growing demand. 

You can help move these critical projects forward! 

Please consider making a gift to support these immediate needs at www.fotzc.org. If you’d like to learn more about our board trip or ongoing projects, please contact us at  info@fotzc.org. We love hearing from those who share our commitment to our partner communities.

With deep gratitude,

Bonnie Clendenning
FOTZC Board President